If I am correct, Teesta is a fast flowing, ice fed river. I had been to Gangtok two years back. It was the rainy season and the river was flowing at a very high speed. The water was cold and murky. In my opinion, the river should hold trouts and cold water fishes on the upper reaches and other type of fishes like mahseers etc. in the lower parts.

Teesta is a mahseer, snow trout and cat fish hot-spot.. Some of the wildest Grade 3/4 and higher rafting rapids anywhere in the world...

In about the second week of May, I am informed that a mad horde of anglers descend on the confluence of Teesta/Rangit (a relatively smaller but as rapid river) and the game come in fast and furious...

Am attaching a photo of the spot...

Also attached is a snap of a snap showing a Golden Mahseer (this was around September last year) caught by one of the locals... This size of the Mahseer they said, was "ok, normal"!! O Boy... now you know why So itching to be there!

Thanks for the inputs on the reel size being small, shall see if can replace with a bigger one...

apoo is right , teesta is one really fast flowing river and as GI mentioned, confluence of teesta/ rangit is very famous for mahseer fishing, though katli is rather larger in number. mostly mahseer r caught on spinner , but local use lots of other baits like meat, cheese , bundiya .
in my last two visit , i end up catching katli only, hope i will bag some mahseer this time.... hey GI most probably i will hit that place too....!!!

Back to spinning reels once again. If I buy a Quantum Boca PT 60 rated for 14lb/240 yds can it be used for bigger water [where 20lb/250 yds reel would be adviced] Mahseer by using braid. Boca is supposed to have solid construction and a superlative drag.

michael....i doubt teesta holds any trout ...havnt seen anybody trying for trout....everybody is after mahseer. but once u enter sikkim , thers a river along the highway frm rangpo to gangtok which is pretty rich with trouts....infact u need licence for trout fishing....which u get frm gangtok...!!!

Am off to Teesta May 10th thru 14th... hope to go further upstream through Sikkim to some of the NHPC (Hydro-Pwer Corporation) dams which I'm told houses some unbelievable fish (size-wise and type-wise)!

Will have a WB Fisheries Department official accompanying, so that should clear the red-tape!

be back to mumbai by 15th evening... and ping on what happens out there.

Any suggestions/thoughts/advice on the Do's/Don'ts etc..?

I've put in maybe about 30+ Man-Hours fishing (mostly in and around the Mumbai coastline - Madh, Marve, Bandra) and Pawna.. but Zero luck for me yet...

have already gathered a box-full of various lures, lines, baits and other paraphrenalia because it is all so fascinating and involving.. and am enjoying the whole process more than the actual catching of the fish..

frankly i don't know how i'll react if and when i Do land up a fish (a confession: i do have a couple of photos of me with fish that some other people caught!!)...

as of now, i wish i have the grace to deposit it back into the water and hope (in return ... we are in a "quid pro quo" world, aren't we?!) he/she will deposit some good karma for me!!!

but then again... maybe the nose will remember and the buds will tingle at the recollection of how a tender, barbecue sauce-garnished, mildly seasoned grilled fresh fish (under an open sky, with a few sips of white wine) tastes!!

Far as i know, there are no permits required (yet) on the WB side of the Teesta... if you travel over to Sikkim, then you require permits for trout etc. These are available at a couple of districts closer to teesta as also at Gangtok (i am told)...

you may go straight to kalimpong from NJP and then hook up with one of the local tour guides. they'll charge a few hundred bucks to drop you down to the fishing sites of their choice... In May when you go to the Tribeni, you'll see a veritable carnival of anglers lining a half kilometer stretch of the rapidly running river...

The best places to fish are the "confluences" where two "types" of water mix, thus creating a natural "dam". this mix whips up a "dust barrier" which fish get confused by as well as throws up the sediments, which form feed for small aquatic life. this small feeds the bigger ones and so on... this makes game fish turn around in circles at the confluence and spend time getting confused between the real food and the baited lures etc...

the teesta runs for more than 400 kms, so its up to you to explore the best place that works for you!!

Plus, there are No real "rules" on location identification.. i myself feel that fish can't really be SO dumb (or curious) as to think of a string of 30-40, chattering chaps, blasting car engines, baits/lures/spinners crissing and crossing in the stream as being "natural" and come in for a nibble only to lose their lives!!

people have caught jaw-dropping fare at most unexpected places! and i prefer going where there are no more than one or two Very quiet people doing their stuff ...

so, to sum up. as i understand it, the fun of the game is to find it yourself. do it yourself. and tell it to all!

three nights on the Tribeni, the Teesta/Rangit confluence, off Kalimpong...

two night-outs, about 25-odd hours of casting and many hours of:

1. listening to the merry crackle & swish of the fast-flowing waters;
2. noticing how the two-colored waters create a strange whippy/foamy barrier which the fish find irressistible
3. meeting dozens of very focussed and accomplished anglers;
4. witnessing locals conjure up fascinating tools and methods to trap fish of all size and use;
5. encountering young local boys who patrol the banks offering to retrieve stuck baits/plugs by diving straight into the rapid waters; and coming promptly and successfully back up with your precious Rapala/Mepps, for a mere Rs. 10/-!;
6. eating food cooked on-the-run!;
7. staying in a palatial guest-house which contiues to be deserted, for strange political reasons;
8. experiencing a most violent thunderstorm at Siliguri, which looked straight out of the movie Twister!; and
9. refusing the "touristy" thrill of roaming around kalimpongs flower nurseries and such-like and sticking to the half-a-square kilometer long stretch of the confluence!

And the fish... Ah, the fish...

Folks, here's proudly announcing my First Catch... a one kg "Katla" fish, about 9 inches long. Am surprised that after using possibly the best equipment around, the first catch came in so late, on May 13, 2008, at roughly about 4.00 p.m. Was using a stainless steel tan/brown floating rapala about three inches long, diving depth about 5 feet.

The katla stood no chance.. very little resistance was offered and the catch was in, pronto!!

I duly did a jig about the place, with junta wondering what makes an old man get so jiggy!! more than anything else, it was with a sense of gratitude to the li'l fish.

I'm sure it must now be happily narrating its encounter to its friends in the Teesta... i couldn't help letting it go right back in, with a prayer and hope....

Ok, the gang caught 3 Golden Mahseers, one 4 Kgs, one 2 kgs and the biggest fellow, a 7.5/8 Kilo beaut!! The fight in these fish is truly something and needs to be seen to be believed. The Mepps lures (even the size 4/5) were rather soft and we lost a few. Some Very large Mahseers duly bent out rapala hooks, snapped 30 Lbs braided Firelines, nearly yanked the shoulder out of an unsuspecting chap who wasn't quite attentive and jerked my Abu Garcia rod in two!! The 8 Kilo Mahseer bull-dozed back into the rapids nearly a dozen times before finally yielding to three people helping the angler...

G I Joe had narrated the whole trip so beautifully , i dont have any more words left to add. I met some amazing people with amazing talents beside angling.
as far as angling is concerned , i didn't had much luck. it was due to to my lack of experience and i was totally unprepared for what was enstored for us there at TRIVANI. hey G I Joe, just a little update...i scored 2 more fish after you guys left.... this is for all mahseer anglers, night is best time for mahseer fishing in teesta, especially between 8-12PM .

I went to the tribeni on the 15th of this month and my catch was nil. The Teesta was totally muddy but the Rangit was clean. There were so many bait anglers that it was not possible to cast the spinners and lures properly. Stayed there for 4 nights and saw only one person getting a mahseer of 8.5kg. The last day was a disaster as even the rangit became muddy. I will post the pics in the image gallery soon.

apoo one of our group member caught 23kg mahseer 2 days back. one of the biggest catch so far at that spot. i wish i was there to witness this history making event. but i am glad one of my friend did it....!!!!

Which Rod and Reel Should I Buy Experienced Anglers and Newcomers Alike
Ask this Question Every Day

I receive a lot of email asking me for advice on which rod or which reel
to buy. It seems that people are somewhat convinced that there is a
perfect rod or perfect reel, and that someone out there knows the brand.

The fact is, there are numerous ?perfect? rods and reels, and believe it
or not price is not the determining factor.

There are several keys to determining just which rod and reel you should
use.

* *What fish are you pursuing?*
The size of the fish you pursue needs to determine the relative
size of your tackle. You certainly would not fish for two pound
fish with offshore trolling equipment.
* *What kind of water are you fishing?*
Can you make long casts? Is there a limited space for casting? Are
you on the beach or pier? The answers to all these questions play
a part in your decision.
* *Are you fishing from a party boat, the shore, the beach, or a pier?*
Each of these applications will use a different type of rod and reel.

*The Tackle Choices*

They are numerous, but they can be broken down into some basic groups.

* *Ultralight Spinning
This kind of outfit is ideal for small fish in confined areas.
Line from two to six pound test provides a unique fighting
experience, and requires some angling skill. Successfully landing
a fish on this tackle is something to brag about!
* *Light and Medium Spinning*
These are the staples of the spinning category. Line sizes can
range from six to as much as seventeen pound test, and the bulk of
inshore water fish can be caught using this tackle.
* *Heavy Spinning*
These are the big boys, and this is the tackle you will use in an
offshore trolling scenario. These reels are also used in
combination with rods for fishing, Line sizes are twenty
pound test and above. Lines larger than thirty pound test are
about the largest that can be efficiently used on a spinning outfit.
* *Bait Casting
These outfits are conventional reels, sometimes equipped with a
level wind mechanism. They are used for casting artificial lures
and plugs mainly with inshore fishing. Line weights can range from
twelve to as large as twenty pound test. Line weights lighter than
twelve pound test tend to bury themselves in the spool, and are
extremely difficult to clear in a backlash situation. Heavier
lines are more difficult to cast long distances.
* *Bottom Fishing*
A six and a half foot rod with a conventional reel
and line from thirty to eighty pound test makes this an outfit
that can take a beating and haul big fish off the bottom. These
outfits are not designed for casting, rather straight drop to the
bottom from a boat.
* *Trolling*
Here is where you can get into some serious discussions about
price and size. Basically like Bottom fishing tackle ? that is a
rod and conventional reel - these outfits can sell fro well over
$1000 each. They are very specialized, and I would not recommend
you purchase one without some personal advice from a professional.

* On all these outfits you need to be cost conscious. A high price
is no assurance that you have the best deal. I own rods that cost
over $300 each and reels to match. I also have rods that work just
as good for which I paid under $50.
* Reels are a slightly different matter. Every reel you pick up and
spin at the tackle shop will feel smooth and silky as it turns.
The test is how will it perform over time. Cheaper reels ? and I
mean that both from a quality and price view point ? will work
well for a while. But, because they use brass or plastic shims as
opposed to bearings, they wear and become sloppy over time. Reels
that are expensive are generally built with better quality and
will have five or more sets of ball bearings. These reels will
perform well for a long period of time.
* If you fish only occasionally, a cheaper reel may suit you. If you
fish a lot, I would opt for a reel that has at least three or more
ball bearings. Some are advertised to have as many as eleven
bearings and their price reflects the higher number.

*The Bottom Line*

* Determine how much fishing you plan to do.
* Where are you planning on fishing.
* What kind and size of fish are you pursuing.
* Choose the outfit that most matches these questions and your
wallet at the same time.

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